Automotive accessory mats, such as floor mats for the passenger floor area (e.g. front passenger or rear passenger floor mats) and/or the cargo area of a motor vehicle (e.g. trunk or other storage area), may overlie the interior carpeted area of a motor vehicle, particularly in localized areas of the carpet prone to high wear, to better inhibit wear of those carpeted areas.
For example, automotive floor mats, which also may be referred to as throw-in-mats, may be positioned beneath the feet of vehicle passengers to collect dirt, sand and other debris which separates from passenger's shoes. In this manner, damage to the underlying carpet may be reduced and confined to the floor mats. This may reduce the need to replace the underlying carpet which may be costly as the seats, console and other interior rim components may have to be removed prior to replacing the carpet, and then replaced once again. On the other hand, once a floor mat is worn, the floor mat may simply be removed from the vehicle and replaced without a need to remove other interior trim components.
Automotive floor mats may be completely made of a molded polymer, such a rubber mat. Other floor mats may be made of a tufted carpet with a rubber backing which may include molded protrusions, which may be commonly referred to as nibs.
The molded protrusions are designed to inhibit the mat from sliding or otherwise moving out of its desired predetermined position, particularly when a shear load is applied to the surface of the mat. In other words, a transitional load which creates shear stress or lateral movement between the automotive floor mat and the carpet. In this manner, safety may be increased by providing a floor mat less prone to slide, for example under the operating pedals (e.g. accelerator, brake, clutch) of the vehicle and cause disruption.
More recently, automotive manufactures have sought to reduce the weight of floor mats while at the same time increasing a resistance to lateral movement of the floor mats over the carpet.